Happy Sao Joao Feast
(Saint John The Baptist Day)
June 24

Newsline Canada

Groundbreaking for Air India memorial
with files from
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Law/2006/06/23/pf-1649332.html

and other sources
TORONTO (CP) June 23, 2006 - Families of the victims of the Air India bombing will soon have a place to go to remember their loved ones.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial was held today in Toronto at Commissioners Park, overlooking Lake Ontario.

The Government of Canada and the India Canada Association hosted the memorial service in honor of the victims who perished on Air India flight 182 on June 23, 1985.

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Asia-Pacific and Africa); Her Excellency Mrs. Shyamala B. Cowsik, High Commissioner of India; His Worship Bob Chiarelli, Mayor of Ottawa; and members of the India Canada Association.

Jayashree Thampi, who lost her husband and daughter, says she's grateful for the support all levels of government have given for the memorial.

The groundbreaking ceremony comes exactly 21 years to the day of the Air India bombing.

There were 329 people, including 280 Canadians, killed when flight 182 was downed by a terrorist bomb on June 23, 1985, near the Irish coast.

Judge to sort out 'cowardly' Air India bombing
Excerpt
from: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/06/20/pf-1643814.html
June 21, 2006
By JIM BROWN
OTTAWA (CP) - Declaring the Air India bombing the most cowardly and inhuman act in Canadian history, former Supreme Court judge John Major is promising to do his best to bring belated solace to the families of the victims.

In an opening statement Wednesday at the public inquiry into the affair, Major said the probe is the "only route left" to find out exactly what happened, why it wasn't prevented and how to head off similar attacks in future.

He candidly admitted the justice system has so far failed those who lost loved ones when Air India Flight 182 was downed by a terrorist bomb off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985.

Read more...

Canadian Employers Struggle to Attract and Retain Employees
Hewitt Associates Survey Reveals Flexibility Key to Addressing Labour Shortage

TORONTO, June 15 /CNW/ - Canadian organizations of all sizes, in all parts of the country, and in all industries are finding it challenging to attract and retain employees, according to an extensive survey conducted by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources services company. As a result, a majority of the 232 survey respondents are implementing new programs focused on flexibility to address the problem.

Hewitt's survey reveals that three-quarters of organizations are having problems attracting or retaining new employees. Forty-four per cent are struggling with both attraction and retention. The problem is most acute in Alberta, where finding or keeping workers is an issue for 97 per cent of respondents, and almost two-thirds indicated that both are challenges. The problem is only expected to worsen, with half of the employees currently working at respondent organizations being baby boomers or older (age 40 or older). Employers indicated they anticipate close to 43 per cent of their employees will take early retirement and less than 11 per cent will work age 65.

Read more...

Time To Open Our Eyes To Elder Abuse
Public Service Announcements Unveiled on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Initiative for ending mandatory retirement for workers aged 65 or older by
December 31, 2006.

TORONTO, June 15 /CNW/ - The McGuinty Government is supporting a public awareness campaign that will shed light on the problem of elder abuse, Jim Bradley, Ontario's Minister Responsible for Seniors, announced today.

"We are on the side of Ontario seniors, and are committed to helping them live in safety, with dignity and independence," said Bradley. "That's why the McGuinty Government is supporting community efforts to combat elder abuse, and is making sure people get the message that the abuse and neglect of seniors will not be tolerated in Ontario."

Read more...

PUZZLE WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA: UNDERSTANDING KONKANI IN GOA
Posted On Goans Tanzanite <goans_tanzanite@yahoogroups.com>
By: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred@bytesforall.org>

By Pratap Naik, S.J.

PRATAP NAIK is a Jesuit and head of the Thomas Stevens Konknni Kendr.

Excerpt
Those who care for Konknni should be open to the ground reality and not be led by mere theoretical idealism or language and script chauvinism. In a democracy, mutual respect, understanding and unity in multiplicity these and other values must guide any action.


Pre-liberation Goa: During Goa's pre-liberation period, members of the majority community and common folks of the minority community, for their oral communication, used Konknni. The majority community used Marathi for primary education, for popular religion, accounts, written communication, theatre and other spheres of their lives.

The elite of the minority community used Portuguese at home and for education. They used Konknni to converse with the majority community and common folks of the minority community who did not know Portuguese language. Portuguese was considered the language of the cultured. The elite of the minority community looked down on Konknni as a language of the servants and the socio-economically backward commonfolk.

Konknni in the Roman script was used for popular religious practices and by the mass media. Konknni written in the Devanagari script hardly existed during this period. It had practically no influence over the members of the majority community too......


The Church contributed to standardize Konknni in the Roman script, which had its roots in sixteenth century. Let us call this dialect as Roman Script Standard Konknni (RSSK). After the liberation of Goa, Konknni language suffered a number of setbacks. This happened due to partly lack of vision and leadership on the part of the minority community, and partly due to the manipulative tactics used by self-proclaimed protectors of Konknni.

Read More.